Many enterprises are arranged according to a central plan that provides a layout of fixtures and goods offered by the enterprise within a defined facility. One type of central plan is a planogram that is a diagram of fixtures, fittings and products that illustrates how and where retail products should be displayed. An essential part of creating a planogram is collecting information about the geometry of the underlying retail space (floor levels, walls, doors, obstructions, etc.) and location and size of fixtures (shelves, racks, display cases, etc.) and fittings (power outlets, communication devices, points-of-sale, etc.).
In addition, this geometric information can change as the retail space, fixtures and fittings change, necessitating updating of the planogram over time. Accurate display and analysis of location based information is hindered if there is a lack of accurate planogram geometry either because it was not initially generated or it has not been maintained, e.g. when a store is reconfigured.
Accordingly, there is a need for generating and maintaining a planogram in real-time.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.